Immigration to Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba in 2026

Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba are the Caribbean Netherlands (the BES public entities). They are part of the Netherlands, but immigration rules are not the same as the rules that apply in the European Netherlands. The IND-unit Caribbean Netherlands (IND-CN) administers admission under the Wet toelating en uitzetting BES, while foreign-worker permits are governed separately by the Wet arbeid vreemdelingen BES.

Verified 18 September 2026: do not copy EU free-movement guidance for Amsterdam or Rotterdam into Bonaire, Saba or Sint Eustatius. European Dutch nationals, other Dutch nationals, US nationals and other foreign nationals can fall into materially different admission procedures.

Main pathways at a glance

| Route | Who it is for | Key 2026 point | | --- | --- | --- | | Paid employment + work permit | Foreign employee with a local job | Residence permission and the employer's TWV are separate; local recruitment normally comes first | | Self-employment / business | Director, sole proprietor, independent business operator | Official residence purpose exists; income and business evidence are required | | Investor residence | Investor making qualifying commercial/property investment | Current application form uses USD 365,000 and an 18-month realisation period | | Family reunification | Partner, spouse, child or qualifying family case | Sponsor means test is 120% for one sponsored person and 140% for several | | Study residence | Student at a qualifying institution | Study is a purpose-limited temporary residence category | | Pensioner / independent means | Retiree, person of independent means, long-term winter visitor | Current means benchmark uses 120% of the island-specific minimum wage | | Dutch / US admittance | European Dutch, Dutch nationals from other Caribbean countries, US nationals | Special Declaration of Admittance by Law framework | | Permanent residence | Qualifying long-term resident | General official page uses 5 years lawful continuous fixed-term residence | | Dutch citizenship | Eligible long-term resident | Naturalisation normally requires 5 years lawful residence plus qualifying status and integration |

MVV or no MVV?

IND-CN currently separates foreign applicants by nationality.

Nationals of EU/EEA states, Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Vatican City, the United States, South Korea and Switzerland can generally enter the BES islands and apply on-island for a fixed-term residence permit if they want to work or remain longer than three months.

Many nationals of countries in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, South and Central America and the Caribbean must first obtain an MVV (Authorisation for a Temporary Stay) before residence. The current MVV page says IND aims to decide a complete application within two months and asks applicants to allow up to three months. After approval, entry must take place within three months, followed by a residence-permit application within three days of arrival.

2026 minimum-wage benchmarks

Several residence purposes use the BES statutory minimum wage, which differs by island. For age 21+ and a 40-hour week, the official 2026 monthly equivalents are:

| Island | Hourly minimum | Monthly equivalent | | --- | ---: | ---: | | Bonaire | $10.69 | $1,852.93 | | Sint Eustatius | $10.61 | $1,839.07 | | Saba | $10.66 | $1,847.73 |

These amounts matter because IND-CN ties paid work and self-employment to at least the minimum wage, family sponsorship to 120% or 140%, study to 50% plus tuition, and pensioner/independent-means residence to 120%.

Does the Caribbean Netherlands have a digital nomad visa?

No dedicated “digital nomad visa” appears in the current IND-CN residence-purpose list.

A remote worker cannot safely assume tourist status permits ongoing work. The correct analysis depends on nationality, whether the activity is employment or self-employment, where the business is established, and whether a TWV or residence purpose applies. Start with the self-employment/business guide and, for local employment, the paid-employment guide.

Work and local-labour protection

For many foreign employees, the employer must obtain a tewerkstellingsvergunning (TWV). Current RCN guidance requires employers to register the vacancy with the public entity's labour unit and normally conduct broad local recruitment for at least five weeks before applying.

The employee's residence permit is a separate immigration approval.

Business, self-employment and investment

The fixed-term permit framework includes both self-employed person and investor as official purposes.

Self-employed applicants must show that the profession/business produces at least the island's monthly minimum wage. A first self-employment residence application also requires a bank statement showing at least the relevant annual minimum-wage amount.

Investor residence is separate. The current official application form available through RCN asks for evidence of intent/resources to make a commercial investment and/or purchase real estate with a total value of at least USD 365,000, realised within 18 months. That is not citizenship by investment and should not be marketed as an automatic “golden visa to permanent residence.”

Retirement and independent means

Pensioners, people of independent means and long-term winter visitors have official residence purposes. Current IND-CN means guidance uses 120% of the island-specific minimum wage. A long-term winter visitor stays a maximum of six months per year.

Permanent residence and citizenship

The official permanent-residence page states that a person who has lived lawfully and continuously in the public entities for five years or longer on fixed-term residence may, subject to conditions, apply for permanent residence.

Dutch nationality is a separate procedure. IND's 2026 nationality guidance generally requires five years of lawful residence in the Kingdom, timely renewals, a qualifying residence status that permits continued stay, and civic-integration requirements, subject to statutory exceptions.

2026 application fees

IND-CN's official 2026 fee sheet is route-specific. Examples include:

• paid employment: $326;
• self-employment: $922 initial, $724 extension;
• investor: $922 initial, $391 extension;
• adult family reunification: $196;
• minor family reunification: $65;
• study: $196;
• pensioner: $326;
• independent means/winter visitor: $922 initial;
• permanent residence: $196;
• admission by operation of law: $169.

Use the detailed route pages for the applicable category rather than assuming one fee covers all residence permits.

Return to the Caribbean Netherlands immigration hub, browse visa types, explore the Caribbean region, review our methodology, and read the legal disclaimer.

Published pathways